Bill Would Raise Felony Theft Threshold In Maine To $5000 Or One LL Bean Mocassin

AUGUSTA, Maine — A shoplifter nabbed in Maine with at least $1,000 worth of stolen goods faces a felony theft charge. But a bill that will receive a public hearing Wednesday would raise the felony theft threshold from $1,000 to $5,000, a proposed change that retailers argue would have the potential to increase retail crime and hurt their bottom lines. Stealing at least $1,000 worth of goods is a Class C crime, considered a felony and punishable by up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine, according to the state attorney general’s office. This bill would change that so perpetrators wouldn’t face felony charges unless they stole at least $5,000, with anything below that amount being considered a Class D crime, a misdemeanor. Offenders would face up to 364 days in jail and a $2,000 fine. Sen. Roger Katz, a Republican from Augusta who introduced the bill, LD 366, feels raising the felony limit on theft will reduce the burden on the criminal justice system. (read more at Bangor Daily News)